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Stealth Detection Items Nerfed, CAPSLOCK Ensues

It's Nerf & Then Lots Of QQ It's Nerf & Then Lots Of QQ

Blizzard Poster Bornakk announced a new nerf to the engineering profession, although it is not the main focus of the nerf.  According to Bornakk, items with Stealth Detection were being used in unintended ways - way past their ilvl in many cases - in an effort to get an advantage, or equal footing, inside the Arenas.  Rather than try and rebalance the offending items, Blizzard has nerfed any and all items with a hint of stealth detection on them.

If you have been participating in the Arenas while sporting anything but Ultra-Spectropic Detection Goggles or an engineering helm, then you will still posses some stealth detection.  The catch is that it isn't enough stealth detection to justify what you lose for equipping the item anymore.  The former item is no longer usable in Arenas, while the latter group has had their detection removed entirely, a choice that has engineers up in arms.  One passionate tinkerer exclaimed, "would you PLEASE just remove the profession."  And if you didn't hit the link up top, the changes have already been implemented.  A tooltip update is incoming as part of the next minor patch.

My main is a rogue engineer so I am actually on both sides of the camp.  From a rogue standpoint, we are almost ecstatic because we can now sneak in for our openers with a lower chance of being seen.  Of course, rogue battles versus humans and their pesky passive stealth detection racial ability will still annoy us, especially rogue versus human rogue.  As an engineer, the nerf lowers the profession's utility further.  The helm that was crafted specifically for the Arena (or early raiding) is now useless with no inkling of an incoming buff to make up for its loss.

I'm not going to go on a QQ rant over a single item though, especially since I don't Arena enough on Solidsamm to care.  Instead, I will QQ over the professions in general.  Let's not try to make professions all homogeneous like we did with raid buffing, as some players in the thread are suggesting.  In my opinion, each profession should offer their own special utility.  Blacksmiths can make their own gem slots, jewelcrafters have their rings, leatherworkers had their drums, etc.

To me, engineering has always been about fun items, the Battle Chicken, the Harvest Reaper, the ROFLCopters.  We still have some of that but it's much less prevalent.  Wrath removed our collection of amusing gizmos and replaced them with recipes that are a requirement for all Arena engineers.  Essentially changing the role for an engineer from 'humorous accessory user' to that of a 'stealth detector.'  Now that role-changing item has been removed, and you wonder why we freak out?  You can't give someone candy and then take it away, not even if they get in your van.

Which side are you on, or do you not PvP enough to care about the discussion one way or another?

Reader Comments (34)

I'm not sure but it seems like engineering was always a
alt toon profession, I've never found much use for it
myself, as far as PvP goes, rogues always seemed to have the upper hand sooo, idk whats best for them.

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commentergerm508

In my oppinion they shouldnt nerf those items.`
My main is a hunter so i have no problem getting those rogues down but still stunlock sucks so i think they shouldnt ban them from arenas

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterTrian

Once again Rogues win!

QQ Rant starting in 3, 2, 1..........

QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterThe Void Man

If an item is being viewed as an unfair advantage in a player versus player environment, sure take it out.

But I agree, they should balance it out with something else instead of completely raping it of it's usefulness.

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSanctys

Being on a PVP server, engineering has helped me a number of times from getting ganked by a rouge. In Arena's fair enough.

PVE here I come.

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterGrido

Agree with Sanctys.

So Blizzard... MOAR ROFLCOPTERS PL0X!

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterCarlos

and the rich get richer i dont do much arenas but i allways look out for a chlange from a fellow player and i can tell you the stun locks are annoying bieng a melee dps i cant slow the rogue down adn then run way i wish i was a drui uand get stealph and stun locks of my own i wish i had bubbles to sheld mefrom the locs but i dont
all i have is a 3 minute cooldown ability that amkes me imune to stuns for 15 saconds and cant even use while i am stuned and once i get unstuned it is prity much useless as i am near death and the rogue has his oisons on me

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commentercocopuff

i to agree with sanctys but on a diffrent note if you're a rogue i may not seem fair to you that someone with a high stealph detection can spot you coming from a mile way and tear you to bits but i bet you dont mind taht you can sneak up tp a person and show both of these swords maces deggers axes what ever before the stun lock even wears of or get teh person close to it i dont hear you complaining about that i never like stealph and probably never will unless its gets nerfed like make the move mentt speed realy slow and cant use any movent speed powerups then i will like it a bit mpre i mean it is coompletly un fair the rogue gets to choose when to attack whear attack from and most o the time gets the first attack witch usauly is a davastating ambush a cheap shot or a garrote gives am which can then be followed by a kidney shot stunning you for another 5 saconds if your lucky you will still have half of your healph left so you decrease stealph detection that is fine but you now put rogue in an even bigger unfair advantage the warlocks fear poses a similar problem but i can deal with taht easy atleast for now why dont you decrease the shodow resistance the players have make teh fear last longer or mosre sufficient why dont you put warlocks up thier on the padestol right with rogues and next to paladins the three can rule wow while the other classes rot in thier dust i cant evven count how many times i had a pally near death and then he bubbles and heals fully and what do i have just a stupid spell that heals be for berly anything and i lose my ghoul after that just seems like the three "supreme" classes are smackdown in the middle of all the buffs and all the classes have to jump just to get a bone the said thing is the bone is a nerf and it looks like we have coughtt another bone lets see how long we can gnal on it and if you feel you must have a class that is above all others why not make a cool class taht class no offense to any of teh three "supreme" classes they might take my bone away

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commentercocopuff

I couldn't agree with cocopuff so much, everything that is mentioned in the above comment is true, in PVP, which i enjoy alot, the number of times i have been literally ambushed by sometimes upto 5 rouges, and im dead before even having a chance to do anything, i mean you can only use the ability to stop things that cause loss of control of your toon, as it has a cooldown, so by this time, your dead. Rouges have it good enough, already, infact whilst i have nothing against rouge players, they are good, but there on to too much of a good thing, here, i mean ffs all they need to do is hunt in packs, and attack where they want, when they want, this simply isnt fair. A hunter practicly has no chance of escaping from rouges, as melee isnt there strong point. Blizz I urge you for the sake of everyone nerf rouges, and stop picking your own favorite classes. And basically crapping all over the other classes.

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commenteronthebuses

Edit: I couldnt agree with cocopuff more

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commenteronthebuses

Good...fewer engineers to undercut me on the AH =)

WTB punctuation

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commentermthrl

tbh pre wotlk king they were useful. i have both tanking googles and dps and have 2 say if i see a rogue its cause their pve, and dont have points in improved stealth the googles are pretty much useless for detecting rogues

having said that rogue versus rogue mite seem an unfair advantage but i think blizzard themselves said "pvp doesnt revolve around 1 v 1"

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered Commenterrobingtons

I don't have engineering and the extremely rare cases in which I do PvP is BG's so sorry to say, I don't give a crap about this :/

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSlyfanitor

I am pissed I ever picked up engineering. I thought the custom mounts were cool( this was in BC so back then it was just the flying mount) and when they announced the 'Hog' i was excited about another custom mount only a us Engineers would have access to.

I learned an important lesson, Blizzard hates engineering. Plain and simple. I am looking to drop it soon because there is no point in having it. Once I've learned the Engineering only pets it can consider itself unlearned.

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDan

@cocopuff

Re-roll if you think a class is OP. Giving DKs an even worse name

Anyways, the nerf isnt really justified. I mean, I might nerf a few items, but not everything with detection in game. Just ridiculous.

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterNomzz

Not into PvP much so don't really care, nor am I an engineer. But when I used to be an engineer, that "buff" was a nice commody for the goggles, but not the reason I was making it, I made it for the early raiding even tho my guild's warrior tank (Main I think now) still wears his level 72 goggles. I swear there's better ones, but Schlag likes his sunglasses so we don't see his eyes ... stoner, lol

May 15, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterDieoxide

I have 2 engineers. My first was my dwarven paladin, whom had use of it, but it was more for the novelty of it all. When I later re-rolled a hunter, I found that bullets and arrows, as well as guns, were pretty handy, so I made another engineer. However, engineering has become pretty vanilla lately... It is as you say: Where is the fun stuff? We have the exploding bunnies, but that is about it. Where are the teleporters for WOTLK? How about new seaforium charges? Oh, wait, there is like hardly any locked door or chest in Northrend... I'd also like to see some improved goggles. I like the goggled look, it makes my blood elf chick look cool.

In the end, I keep engineering because I just don't want to level up another tradeskill... But if I had the time and patience, I'd drop it for something a bit more useful...

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterLil ole me

anyone noticed that alchemy isn't even mentioned by our blogger... thats exactely how usefull it is. Utter nonsense to have except as a way to save on some cash if you happen to rely heavily on potions / elixers.

We have 0 usefull items, there used to be these trinkets, but their stat boost is so low its hard to even consider equipping them even if they will grant 40% more gains from potions that you drink during the fight.

The only other positive side to it is the fact that elixers & flasks get the double duration from the passive it gives. But then thats just an other cash saver, and in the end if you don't take herbalism and spend at least 1 hour a day grinding for the herbs you won't save that much cash at all, since mat prices in the ah are through the roof.

I feel for the engineers out there, i know it sucks to be stuck with a profession you invested a ton in and see it rendered useless. I say lets just nerf JC Inscription Blacksmiths, Leatherworking and Tailoring aswell !!

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSardit

@Cocopuff

You are rolling a DK, if there ever was an overpowered classin in WOW its yours.... If you fail to destroy other classes it's more likely a wrong spec on your side or a matter of using the wrong abilities. DK's can wipe the floor with basically anything thrown at them.

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterSardit

Has any

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJesus

Cocopuff u f-ing idiot. Have u every heard of something called a dot, exclamation mark, question mark etc? Jesus!

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterJesus

i did i just dont bother its not so easy to re-roll classes do all the beginner quest all teh stress of leveling again just isnt taht fun for me

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered Commentercocopuff

i hit 80 on m mage 2 hours ago heriocs here i come

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered Commentercocopuff

Engineering is completely fucking broken and I'd drop it if I hadn't been a goblin engineer for over 4 years now.

I fucking hate bliz sometimes... and rogues... especially you Koopa.

/wrists

May 16, 2009 | Unregistered CommenterRhev (Koopa's GM)

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